A Bridge A Little Too Near
by Necromancy101
Summary: Korra discovers that an entire people live within the spirit world defending the balance just as the Avatar has always done. Out of frustration with her air bending master Tenzin, she looks to these new beings for enlightenment, leading to an Avatar with a much harsher outlook on the world.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, or Bleach. This is a fanfic made only for fun, not profit.

Chapter 1

"Zaheer, you look most unwell. The whole feral beard look does not work for you." The unfamiliar voice shook Zaheer from his meditation, and he slowly opened his eyes to greet the spirit world before him. Standing in the meadow with him was a handsome brown haired man wearing strange garb. The black hakama and gi reminded Zaheer of something someone might see on Kiyoshi Island. The sandals too were familiar enough. That white coat though, Zaheer had never seen it's like.

"You're Unalaq's contact?" Zaheer didn't let any of the elation show on his weathered face. Yes, his physical body still languished in his cell, separated from his fellow Red Lotus, separated from her, but he still had the chance to gain some satisfaction. If he couldn't make Unalaq pay for his betrayal, then this man would do.

"I suppose I would be quite a disappointment if I wasn't," the brown haired man said. "You went to quite a bit of trouble to find me."

"It was no trouble," Zaheer replied.

"How very polite. You honor me with your perseverance. From what I hear you've asked every spirit you've come across for years to find me. I hope you find those were years well spent.

"When you're in chains you have nothing but time. You didn't need to come armed. I only wish to talk."

The brown haired man lifted the sheathed sword he carried in his left hand. "This? Kyoka Suigetsu never leaves my side. You understand of course? Besides, we both know you came here to kill me."

Zaheer took a deep breath, letting it out in a slow, long puff of air. "Then I suppose there is no more need for words." Then he was moving, leaping from his seated position. It was a smooth attack, one designed to kill with minimum use of movement and force. Death would come to this man swift and painless.

The brown haired man was just as quick. Somehow he sidestepped the killing blow and caught Zaheer's hand at the wrist.

Zaheer moved into the natural counter attack that would take his opponent to the ground, but found himself thrown over onto his back.

This stranger, whoever he was, was skilled. Not being a bender, Zaheer had to make up the difference by learning a myriad of martial arts. He'd even practiced chi blocking so that he might even the odds with a bender. So dangerous did the White Lotus consider Zaheer that his prison was every bit as secure as the ones build for his bender comrades. To be taken so handily was staggering to him. Perhaps prison had worn away his skills more than he thought.

Zaheer flipped back to his feet and launched a quick series of blows. Every single one failed to land. Sensing that he needed to turn the tide if he hoped to survive, Zaheer feinted once to the left, then again he feinted, this time to the left, in order fool his opponent into believing that by seeing through the first feint he'd proved cleverer. Zaheer finished by reversing that movement into a leaping kick. This time he struck the home, the brown haired man's face showing surprise at the reversal of fortune. Then Zaheer's opponent was on the ground. The fight needed to be ended now.

Hands grabbed Zaheer from behind and slammed him to the ground. "Shatter Kyoka Suigetsu," said the brown haired man from behind even though is body still lay before Zaheer. Then the fallen form disappeared, breaking apart like a mirror, and a sword pressed to Zaheer's throat."

"You did well." The brown haired man stood over him.

"I do not fear death."

"Who would if they had nothing to lose?" The man laughed. "I do not plan on killing you, Zaheer."

"You and Unalaq as good as killed all of us."

The brown haired man shook his head. "Unalaq and I parted ways some time ago. I played no part in your current troubles."

"Why should I believe you? I have trusted one serpent and it turned on me. Why should I trust another of his ilk?"

"A question you should ask of every new face you come across. Expect treachery at every turn and at best you will be pleasantly surprised."

"I find the differences between you and Unalaq growing fewer and fewer."

"What have you to lose?"

"What have I to gain?"

The question earned a laugh. "Well spoken. Perhaps we should start by introducing ourselves and go from there."

The sword left Zaheer's throat.

"I believe you already know who I am."

"Humor me."

"I'm Zaheer of the Red Lotus," he said as he got back to his feet.

"Sousuke Aizen." A smile followed the pronouncement.

"I've never heard a name like that. Which nation do you hail from?"

"An odd question from a man who desires to free the world from something as trite as petty government."

"A dream I will see fulfilled, but I won't pretend they don't exist now. Where are you from?"

"Nowhere you've ever been. Let's just say I dwell in the spirit world."

"Impossible. I have traversed its breadth. The human and spirit worlds have been separate for hundreds of years." Then a thought occurred to Zaheer. "Are there people who have been stranded on the other side? Those who have lived with the spirits all of this time?"

"Not exactly, though you could think of me that way. There were indeed people left behind when the world's split, but I believe my people have seen to their destruction. I am closer to your ideal though than you yet known. Our goals of seeing the worlds rejoined are the same."

"So you say. Yet I see no reason to trust anything you say."

"Have you ever seen a power like the one I demonstrated with Kyoka Suigetsu?"

Zaheer shook his head.

"Take that as the first piece of evidence. I come from a place with different rules and different powers. There are parts of the spirit world that no human or spirit can travel without already knowing where to go. That is where my people lived. Tell me, have you not wondered what happens to human souls in the natural cycle. There is life, death and rebirth, but there is more, so much more. There is a place that all human spirits go in the interim, a place they forget when they're reborn in your world after they die yet again."

"Are you such a spirit?"

"You could say that. You've been there before I would imagine, sometime in your cycle. Your essence was special even then. I remember it. It tasted of rebellion."

"Freedom cannot be purged from those who desire it with all their being." Zaheer paused, then asked. "What was I in a previous life?"

Aizen shrugged. "I shouldn't tell you. It is against the rules."

"Rules you are no doubt breaking by even telling me of this place that has been hidden from humans for so long."

Aizen's smile became a rather wicked looking smirk. "Well said. Your time in our world was pathetically short, but you did have memories of your time in the human world. Apparently you'd be killed in a great purge of your people by the Fire Nation."

"The destruction of the Air Nation. I was an air nomad?"

"In one life, yes."

Zaheer stood quiet for a moment, contemplating the significance of this.

"You are listening to me now, aren't you?"

"I am beginning to. It does not mean I am swayed."

"I'm happy to continue until you are. I have nothing but time. As it so happens, you also have copious amounts of the same."

"Why do you seek my help? That would be a good place to begin."

"Because both you and Unalaq had something resembling the right idea. Did you know that there is only one soul that has never partaken of the natural cycle in its entirety? One soul that has always reincarnated directly back into the material world without ever having gone through my world. One soul that prevents the world I desire from coming into being."

"The Avatar."

"Yes. The Avatar. Because of the Avatar's nature as the bridge between worlds, it cannot fully crossover after death. Only when the cycle is ended can a better world be created."

That statement resonated with Zaheer. It made sense in the grand scheme of things as he saw it. Of course the Avatar was unnatural. The world it had created was broken. This merely confirmed it. "Go on. I am listening."

Xxxxxxxx

 _Meditate. Meditate. Meditate. Come on, damn it. I'm supposed to be feeling peace and calm._ The desire to punch something increased with every attempt to find inner peace. _Picture something calming, like Tenzin said. You know, like punching his smug face. I mean what am I, some sort of prisoner? I haven't left Air Island since I got here_. Yep, the desire to do violence was growing.

Korra gave a howl of displeasure and opened her eyes. It was dark outside her window with barely enough light from the moon filtering into the sparse room provided for her by Tenzin and Pema. The day ended the same as it started, with frustration and no results. What she and Tenzin were doing wasn't working. She was supposed to be growing more spiritual instead of more irritable. The soreness left over from that wind-wheel-shutter-spinning-thing didn't help matters. What had Tenzin called it? Didn't matter.

Tenzin told her to meditate by the ocean so that the sea air could calm her.

Didn't work.

Tenzin told her to skip a few meals so as to perhaps find spiritual enlightenment in deprivation.

Well, it helped her find hunger easy enough.

Tenzin told her to find the spots that felt the most spiritually charged to sit at. The island was a temple after all and while not a spiritual hot zone like the ancient air temples it should be easier here than elsewhere in the city.

How was she even supposed to know what spots felt the most spiritually charged?

Tenzin offered dozens of suggestions. He recited many legends of famous air benders and gurus, including a terribly long one about some guy who never ate. Seriously, an entire story of someone not doing anything. Why wasn't that adapted into a radio serial? Oh yeah, cause no one would watch it.

None of it did anything.

"If I could just talk to you, Aang. I'd settle from hearing from any of you, even Kyoshi." From the way the White Lotus spoke of Kyoshi it was clear that they didn't quite approve of her. "Maybe even especially Kyoshi." She sounded like someone Korra might get on well with.

She was never going to learn to air bend at this rate.

Korra sighed. There wasn't much else left to try. Had the other Avatars had to deal with this sort of thing? Tenzin said every one of them found at least one element the most difficult to master: the one most opposite their personality.

"Guess I've got nothing better to do but keep trying." She closed her eyes again. One last time tonight and then she was done. Better to pick a specific goal this time than try and find something as ephemeral as inner peace. She'd try once more to contact her past lives.

"Aang," she whispered. In her mind she tried runt through the meditation exercises taught to her at the Southern Water Tribe compound she grew up in. Every single thing they told her to picture she did.

"Roku." She tried to capture the feeling that came with bending, but only in her mind. Maybe that was the key to spirituality.

"Kyoshi." She tried to tap into the emotions she felt with herself that might resonate with her past lives. Living in seclusion didn't leave her with a wide range of experiences to draw on.

"Kuruk. Yangchen." She tried to picture each of the Avatar's images in her mind based on the murals she'd seen.

"Damn it, anyone." She tried to imagine what it would feel like to be spiritually open to the world, to become a beacon for spiritual energy. How could she imagine something she'd never experienced? Still, she tried.

"Please," she ground her teeth, her chest aching like a sore muscle. She felt exhausted. This whole spiritually reaching out thing was a bust.

She was about to give up when she felt a sudden stab of icy pain. The cold began to spread through her chest. Goose pimples rose on her skin like the temperature dropped. Something was very wrong.

"Something's coming." At least, that's what she thought the feeling meant, and she thought she knew the direction.

Korra was out of her room in a moment and racing towards the feeling. "Tenzin," she called out. Maybe this was a false alarm. She could apologize if it was. Then again, it might not be. "Tenzin!"

"What's wrong, Avatar Korra?" One of the White Lotus guards said as Korra passed by.

She stopped. "Where's Tenzin?"

"An emergency budget meeting was called tonight. Additional funding for the Republic City Police. As a council member he was required to attend."

That was just what she needed, something bad to happen when Tenzin wasn't here but his kids were.

"Where are Pema and the other air benders?"

"They should be in their rooms."

"Find them and make sure they stay safe." Thankfully, whatever Korra was sensing wasn't coming from the direction of where Tenzin's family slept. It was still too close for comfort.

"What about you?" The White Lotus guard called, but Korra was already gone, racing for the feeling's source. It was coming from the docks, whatever it was.

It was as she was rounding the corner and bringing docks into her field of view that she heard the screaming. What met her eyes caused her to halt for just a moment. That it was a spirit she had no doubt, but she'd never seen anything like it before. It was at least 16 feet tall. It had a vaguely humanoid figure, but was hunched over like a gorilla bear. Its limbs were also too long compared to is short legs. Then there was its face. She couldn't tell if it wore a white mask or if the mask was the head. The teeth that thing had were huge and effective. Korra got a good view of that as it tore into the flesh of the man it held in one of his hands. The teeth totally bisected the guy.

 _Chen_ , Korra reminded herself. She'd known that guard personally. His name had been Chen. There was another corpse nearby that was too mangled to recognize.

"Spirit, why are you angry with us?" The question was what she'd been instructed to ask if she ever encountered an angry spirit.

The thing's blood drenched mouth bent into a grin. "Benders. Their spiritual energy tastes so good."

"You eat benders?"

It laughed. "Yes." It drew out the sound into a hiss. "But these aren't the ones that called out to me. There's a greater spiritual force here. Is it you?"

"Called out?" Could she have been responsible for this? Two men were dead.

The great thing sniffed the air. "You smell delicious. I think I'll eat you either way."

"You're going to pay for what you've done." The anger felt good. It washed away guilt.

The spirit dropped the half of the body it hadn't consumed and began to lumber toward Korra.

In a flurry of motions, Korra unleashed a volley of fireballs at it.

The thing raised and hand and though they seared its flesh the creature remained undaunted. It kept coming. As it drew close it reached forward with a hand.

Korra leapt up into the air and used her fire bending to shoot flames from her feet. She rocketed into the air and over the creature's head to come down on the other side. She then struck the ground with a foot and sent a chunk of cobblestone flying at the monster's face as it turned. The rock struck the mask and it cracked, causing the monster to lurch back in pain. "That's right," Korra shouted. "Come get it." She sent two more rocky payloads its way, both of which bounced off its shoulder.

"Damn you," It roared, launching itself forward with surprising speed.

Korra barely backed away in time, again using the fire to allow her to fly back through the air. Her response was to call a powerful jet of water from the nearby to sea to blast the spirit in the face.

The pressure slowed the spirit, but it kept coming. It opened its mouth wide as it approached.

Then there was a blur of movement overhead. Someone wearing black robes trimmed with white came down on the creature's head, slicing it open with a weapon that resembled the katanas of the Kyoshi Warriors. The sword cut through the monster's skull. No blood spewed forth though. Instead with a scream of anguish, the monster disappeared, fading into nothingness as little pieces broke away and disappeared.

The person who slew it landed in front of the fading beast. It was a small person with black hair. A woman, Korra realized. The girl's visible arms were thin, slight looking, and pale. The robes were both somewhat familiar and foreign at the same time. She wore thick socks and sandals. When the girl turned round Korra couldn't make out the color of her eyes; they were either blue or purple, she couldn't tell, but they were framed by several stray locks of hair. The look this girl gave Korra was bored and passing, like Korra was a peace of stone. The bodies too didn't draw her attention.

"Hey, who are you?" Korra called.

The girl acted as though she didn't hear her.

"Hello, can you hear me?"

Still no response. Now the girl had turned her back on her.

"Hey," Korra said as she rushed forward. She grabbed the newcomers shoulder and turned her around. "I'm talking to you."

"You can see me?" The black haired girl looked startled.

That response brought Korra up short too. "See you? Of course I can."

"How?" The girl asked.

"You're right there."

"Who are you?" The girl leaned forward, a look of curiosity now apparent.

"I'm Avatar Korra." She almost stuttered over her full name. Then she glanced at the two bodies near her and her resolve hardened. She had to get the bottom of this. Tenzin's kids were her, and two people had already been killed. She couldn't let surprise make her weak. No one else could be allowed to die. "Now tell me, who are you and what was that thing?"

"You were fighting it, weren't you?" The girl mumbled to herself. Then she shook her head. "Are you truly the Avatar? Are you the bridge?"

"I am, and I'm going to open up an Avatar sized load of ass kicking you don't tell me who you are."

"Forgive me, Avatar. I know our agreement is to stay out of human's way and human matters. I intended to see this done before anyone got hurt or knew about the hollow's presence."

"The hollow? That thing?"

"Yes. Do you not know of them? But how? You're the Avatar."

Normally Korra enjoyed people's reaction to her being the Avatar, but this type of surprised condescension was nowhere near pleasant. "I've been getting that a lot lately. Who are you. I won't ask again." To emphasize her point, Korra allowed fire to trail around one hand and water another.

"Two elements. You are the Avatar. Forgive me. My name is Rukia Kuchiki, 7th seat of the 13th Division of the Gotei 13."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, or Bleach. This is a fanfic made only for fun, not profit.

Chapter 2

Unalaq was well practiced in parting his consciousness from his body. It was an art known by but a few. He had to be more careful now whenever he entered the spirit world. One of those rare people who could move about in the spirit realm wanted him dead, and hunted relentlessly with that goal in mind. Zaheer no doubt held a grudge close to heart.

The Chief of the Northern Water Tribe was late, that much was clear when he found Aizen already waiting for him at the appointed meeting spot under a great dome shaped tree. The Shinigami, for that was what Aizen had claimed to be, was always precisely punctual in his arrival. If he was there before Unalaq, Unalaq was late. If Unalaq arrived first, he was early. "Old friend. Pardon my tardiness."

"Nothing to pardon. The life of a chief is no doubt very busy." The warm smile Aizen gave him was too sincere.

"No doubt yours is equally full of daily trouble. Come now, let us to business. How fares our plans?"

"There was something of an upset. Zaheer found me."

"What? How?"

"He found spirits that spoke of my existence. I had them destroyed, but the damage was done. No matter now. I have turned it to our advantage?"

"I doubt Zaheer would be keen on aiding us in our plans," Unalaq said, tossing his head in dismissal.

"He was quite eager to help me, though he was under the impression that I was working at odds with you."

"And are you, Captain Aizen?"

"I'm hurt you feel the need to ask, my friend. Of course we remain firm allies.

Unalaq wasn't sure if he believed that. As the Chief of the Northern Water Tribe, he'd dealt with the many forms of power mongers and politicians that roved the world. Never had he met Aizen's like before. There was something effortless in this Pai Sho master's manipulation that made Unalaq wary. True their goals seemed to align, but who knew what Aizen hid from him. No doubt Zaheer was equally unsure about Aizen's motives, yet willing to work with this charismatic man because of the dream Aizen had painted for him.

"What did you promise him?"

"The world he desires."

"You have promised me the same."

"Do you believe me to be a liar?"

"You are no doubt deceiving one of us. Perhaps both."

Aizen chuckled. "Events will proceed as I have promised. I have weakened the barriers between the part of the spirit world known as Hueco Mundo and the dark spirits from that realm shall begin to spread across the material world in numbers never before heard of. My people will be unable to stop them all, let alone predict their appearances with the ease they did before. No longer can the truth of Hollows' existence be hidden. Your people will only understand them as dark spirits and believe balance had been disrupted."

"It has, just not in the way they would imagine," Unalaq muttered. "And I shall bring them enlightenment, for only the Northern Water Tribe will be unaffected, clear proof that my people have not so offended the spirits. Then I will save this corrupt world one nation at a time, starting with our southern brothers."

"Might I suggest and amendment to the plan. Considering the ideal position of the United Republic of Nations. Might it not be ideal to start there? They are a focal point for trade, meaning they could spread your message with far greater ease. They're also on the cusp of great scientific developments."

"All the more reason to save them for later, long after they've heard that I saved the Southern Water Tribe. No, you do not understand the politics of this world. Leave it to me. I shall unite my people first."

"Of course. I only suggest other measures."

Aizen's quick acquiescence only made Unalaq more suspicious. Still, what could he really do? He depended on Aizen for now. "What of the Avatar. I have heard she has appeared in Republic City."

"The rumors are true, but no matter. It may actually speed up our plans."

"How so?"

"I theorize that should the Avatar fall prey to a Hollow and have her soul consumed, then her following Hollowfication might disrupt the balance of her fused soul, breaking down the barriers between the world of the spirits and humans. All of the spiritual works of the Avatar would be undone, and our victory would come all the sooner?"

"Are you sure of this?" Unalaq asked.

"No. It is only a theory. I've tested it some, and benders who have been Hollowfied tend to exhibit interesting quirks, and often are more powerful than you might expect. Something of what they were remains. Turns out that includes madness. The fire bender I tested it on decades ago turned out to be quite the beast, and rather frightening in her temperament."

"Then we must not take the risk. The Avatar must not be destroyed while we still need her."

Xxxxx

"The what of the what?"

"Shinigami? You haven't heard of us? But you're the Avatar, you must know what we are."

"Yeah, you kind of mentioned that before. I haven't connected with my past lives, so I don't have access to their memories. Anything they knew is locked away to me, so I've got to figure out things myself." This conversation took place in something of a morbid scene. The corpses of the two members of the White Lotus who'd tried to stop the monster still lay nearby. There was debris everywhere from the earth bending Korra used to defend herself. The Avatar had to focus on Rukia to avoid the feelings that welled up in her chest at the sight of it all. She'd known both these men since she was a child. Had she really brought this fight to Tenzin's home?

"Oh, that makes more sense then," Rukia said, rubbing the back of her head. "Long and short of it is I'm a Shinigami. We live in the spirit world and hunt down dark spirits, especially if they cross over and start hurting people. The kind we focus on are called Hollows. You just saw one."

"You live in the spirit world?"

"Well, yeah. I am a spirit."

"How could you cross over? What is happening? Why have I never heard of any of this?"

"I cannot answer all of those questions now. When that creature attacked, the bell that I heard ringing was some kind of alarm, right?"

"Yeah." Korra said with a nod.

"Then people will be coming, and they will have questions."

"How am I supposed to explain anything to them if I don't know the answers?"

"They must not know."

Korra held out her hands. "Two men are dead. I can't hide that."

Rukia bit her lip. "You're right, but what they learn must be limited. You need to understand, the truth will put them in danger and get more people killed. I can't explain to you now, but I will. Please, just understand that there was a reason that previous Avatars kept us a secret. Even if you have no memories why, trust that your predecessors must have had good reason to do so."

A horrific shriek rent the air.

"Another one?" Korra looked about, fire forming in her hand.

"Yes. Two."

"How can you tell?"

Rukia looked down at the two slain men. "Because it consumed a pair of souls here. They're reforming in the general vicinity as Hollows, like they always do. These things spread like a disease. Everything they consume becomes one of them."

"What? Can we-"

"You can save them, but I can grant them reprieve before they finish forming."

"But-"

"I shall return, but please, remember what I have said. No one must know. The more they know, the more danger they are in." Then Rukia was gone.

Xxxxxxxx

"It was an evil spirit. You saw the footprints practically carved the stone down at the docks, and the bodies. Do you know of anything else that could do that?" Korra explained once she and Tenzin were in private. The first thing he'd wanted to do after getting the news was rush to see that Pema and the children were alright. After that, he ushered Korra away for an explanation. Two men were dead, their bodies taken away from the scene of the attack by their brethren for examination and funeral preparation. Bei Fong already had her people seeing to the former.

"Yes, I saw them. Never seen anything like it before," Chief Bei Fong said, giving Korra the scowl she seemed to reserve just for her.

"It's not that we disbelieve you, Korra, but we're trying to understand what happened and how it happened. This is my home. My family could have been killed." Everyone knew spirits were real. There were parts of the world where they would still attack people. The Everstorm in the South was one of the most notorious.

"Describe to me everything you saw," Chief Bei Fong ordered.

"Well, I came out of my room when I sensed something was wrong. It was a sort of cold feeling. Then I heard the sounds. Screaming and crashing. I found it by the docks. I saw it kill Chen. Then it spoke to me."

"It talked?"

"Yeah. It had a really deep, gravelly voice. The gargles rocks kind. It told me that it ate benders and people of 'high spirit energy' before telling me I smelled delicious. Then it came at me."

"There were signs of earth bending and scorch marks that could have come from a fire bender." Apparently Chief Bei Fong liked to talk aloud to herself to keep her detective's report organized in her head while she compared it to the Avatar's story.

"I killed it by destroying its face. It was covered by a sort of mask. I guess if you destroy the mask you kill the creature."

"Or anything dies when you blow up its head. Do you know why it attacked?"

"I think it was here for me. It said as much."

"Why would it be here for you?"

Korra sighed to give herself time to choose her words very carefully. She didn't often think about things before she spoke. Such a thing was unnatural to someone used to being honest and speaking her mind. "He said something about it, that my spirit called to him."

"Explain," Lin's said, her voice growing harsher.

"I don't know, okay. It wasn't like he monologued. But I was meditating in my room, or trying to anyway, to make contact with my past lives. I think I was projecting my energy out and he felt it. He came for me."

"In all the years I've been Police Chief there has never been a spirit attack on this city, then you show up and it doesn't take two days for this thing to happen. Tenzin, I want her out of my city now."

Before tonight, Korra would have argued such a declaration, but two people she knew died for no reason at all. She lowered her head.

"Lin, you have no call to order anything of the sort."

"The timing doesn't seem peculiar to you?"

"Timing alone does not equal guilt, something an officer of the law like you should know very well. Rest assured we'll be guarding against something like this ever happening again. Meanwhile, you're more than welcome to continue your investigation, but Korra is staying. You have no call to make her leave."

"She might be right, Tenzin," Korra said, though she knew there was no might about it.

"Korra, the only reason that thing didn't go on a rampage and kill more people is because you stopped it."

Korra didn't believe that, but she didn't say anything. Chief Bei-Fong might have the power to cast her out of the city if she chose to, or arrest her. Maybe that was what she deserved though.

Lin pointed a finger Korra. "No more of whatever it was you were doing. I'm going to be stationing a watch on this island to make sure you all remain safe, and I don't want to hear another word about it."

"Thank you, Lin. I appreciate what you're doing for my family."

"I'm not doing it for you or your family, Tenzin. I'm in charge of protecting every citizen of Republic City and that includes you."

As Lin and Tenzin continued their conversation, Korra allowed her mind to flip back to the strange girl who'd visited her, and the answers she'd been promised. Never would she let something like this happen again.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was a full hour after Tenzin had retired to his family and Lin Bei-Fong left that Korra again saw the strange girl again. A black butterfly preceded her, flittering into the room. Then Rukia appeared from what seemed to be a hole in the air that led to nowhere. "Avatar," she said as she kneeled.

"Hey now, there's no need for that," Korra said, trying to pretend she wasn't enjoying it just as much as it embarrassed her.

"I'm sorry." Rukia got up. "I am prepared to answer any questions you may have."

"Let's start with what those monsters were."

Rukia produced a notebook and proceeded to turn back the pages to show illustration as she spoke. The first page showed a happy face in flowery background, and the other showed an angry white face surrounded by darkness. "There are many spirits in this world, but when humans die they tend to become one of two types unless they're extremely spiritual, or they have for some reason been trapped in the spirit world in a sort of limbo. The good spirits are called pluses. Some of them get stuck in this world for one reason or another, usually due to unfinished business or a fear of moving on. It is a Shinigami's job to find these spirits and send them to the Soul Society, where I come from."

"You come from the afterlife?"

"I guess you could say that. It's more of a parallel life, one where souls go before they're reincarnated back into the cycle."

"What's it like?"

Rukia frowned. "I have to explain that a lot to spirits unwilling to pass on until they know for sure what is waiting for then. Usually they just want reassurance, so that's what I give them. You're the Avatar, you deserve better. Tell me, could you explain the entirety of your world simply in a few sentences to someone who had never experienced, or is it more complicated than that?"

"Of course it's more complicated than that."

"Soul Society is just as complicated."

"Oh." That answer filled Korra with disappointment. What had she expected though? Paradise? Images filled her mind. She wanted to ask about the afterlife, to know what awaited her, but there was a clear and present danger to the world of the living now. "What about those monsters."

Rukia tapped the picture of the mean face. "There are evil spirits known as Hollows that exist to consume other spirits. Whatever minds they had before are overcome with the need to hunt and devour. Any soul they catch also becomes a Hollow. You can see why we have to stop them to restore balance."

Korra nodded.

Turned the page, revealing a squiggly person using a stick to thump some sort of beast on the face. "So we Shinigami hunt them down and purify them, sending their souls to the Soul Society." Another page turn followed. The next one showed someone dressed like Rukia giving a big grin and a thumbs up. "Thus do we help keep the balance of the universe."

This was a serious moment, but Korra had to try very hard not to laugh at the atrocious drawings. A child with crayon could do better. "How do you purify them?" Yep, a snort definitely escaped.

Rukia frowned at the slight to her art. "With this." She tapped the hilt of her sword. "With it, we can purify the souls."

"Your weapon, huh? That's convenient."

"We are in every way perfect for fighting them. Killing Hollows by other means risks destroying the corrupted soul."

"Meaning if I'd killed it…"

"You might have damaged or even destroyed the soul. Even if it did pass on, it would be broken and have to be reincarnated completely on the other side, losing all aspect of its former self. At best it would be blank."

Korra cursed under her breath. "Glad I didn't kill it then. Is there no way I could purify them?"

"There are rituals that can be taught, but they're much more difficult than using a zanpakuto. This." She again tapped her sword. "And I don't know the rituals that benders could use, if indeed there are any. I'd have no need of the knowledge, but I'll look into it when I can. The Hollows are not the concern of the Avatar. You entrusted us with this mission long ago."

"Oh yes, I do."

"But, you can't." Rukia quickly scrabbled with her notebook, eventually finding the page she was looking for. It had several crude figures depicted on one side of it, each with a little sword. At least, Korra thought they were swords. They could have been zucchini for all Korra knew. The other half was separated from the first by a zig-zagging line, and showed several stick figures surrounded by question marks. "It's our sacred duty to handle the protection of the cycle far away from human eyes. No one is allowed to know what we do, not until they die."

"Clearly, I am."

"Yes, but you're the Avatar."

"And I'm the one who gave you this charge, right?"

Rukia quirked an eyebrow. "Yes. The very first Avatar did. Wan."

"Wan?" Korra had never heard that name before. Why neglect the story of this one? She'd never actually learned who the very first Avatar was. "So he was the one who made this whole thing function the way it does now."

"Yes. When he separated the two worlds, the cycle changed. Our role as Shinigami had to change with it. He helped us in that regard. It was his successor who worked with the founders of the Gotei 13."

"Then as the Avatar I order you to let me help you."

"But you can't help. You don't know how to purify Hollows." Rukia looked aghast, even frantic.

"Then you can teach me. I'm not going to be learning air bending soon from the looks of things, so, yeah. I want to help. I'm the Avatar, and if you're doing a duty I put you to, then I can help you do it."

"I told you, I don't know of any purifying ritual you could use. Learning these secrets of the spiritual arts takes time, and many require the spiritual pressure only a Shinigami can produce. You won't succeed at most. Even the ones you might be able to learn learn, well, teaching you is going to take time, time I don't have. There have been more of then appearing lately. So many that I let one slip through and get spotted."

"Sounds like you need help." Korra rested a hand on her knee. "Look, that much is clear. Would you turn it down if it were another Shini-what's-it?"

"You're not a Shinigami," Rukia said, putting extra emphasis on the name.

"I am the Avatar. Until you teach me how to purify them, I'll let you do the killing. Purifying. Whatever."

"You're not trained for this."

"I've been training my whole life to protect the balance and the people of this world. I'm more ready than you give me credit for. And what I don't know, I can learn. Can you get help from another source?"

Rukia shook her head. "No. We're stretched thin. Hollows are showing up everywhere now. Mostly at night. Their world is shrouded in perpetual darkness, or it was until some powerful ones put up a sky of all things. It's an illusion though. They're still creatures of darkness in the end. It makes them feel braver even here. Once the sun goes down, there just aren't enough of us anymore."

"Sounds like you could use an Avatar."

Rukia sighed and nodded, her dark locks bouncing. "Yes it does. There are only three Shinigami for all of Republic City. I'll talk to my superior. You know, you're going to have to sleep a bit more during the day."

Korra blew a raspberry. "You have not seen the amount of meditating I have to do here on Air Temple Island. I'll just use it to nap. Meelo taught me how to sleep sitting up. It's the most useful thing I've learned here."

"Avatar, no matter what you saw tonight, you don't know what's coming your way. These beasts are cunning, strong, and evil beyond your imagining. We train years, decades, even centuries and all it takes is one moment to end it for us. I don't know what will happen if you're consumed. They might corrupt the Avatar Spirit."

"And if I don't fight, they'll corrupt the souls of good people. I'm a risk taker." Korra smiled. "You'll learn that about me. Course I'm going to have to sneak out of here at night, but I was planning to do that anyway."

"Why would one as esteemed as the Avatar need to sneak anywhere?"

Korra felt a surge of anger, then almost started yelling. She stopped at the stupefied look on Rukia's face.

The Shinigami truly didn't understand how this world functioned, or what Korra's place in it really was.

Korra sighed. "You know how you said your world is complicated? Well, mine's the same way. There are so many things I," Korra started to say, then trailed off. "I was already thinking about sneaking out to go see pro-bending matches. Another night and I probably would have done it." A grin broke out on Korra's face. "If I'm already going to be breaking rules anyway, mind as well."

"What is pro-bending?"


End file.
